Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 1, 2026
Who holds the health record in Costa Rica?
In 2026, Costa Rica scores 54 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 44th of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 27th to 55th allowing for scoring error, in the Mixed band (45 to 64). Who holds the keys: the government. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026.
The government decides, with limited say for the person. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is doctors see it when treating you (65 out of 100, against 33 to 34 for the typical country). The furthest behind is privacy and security (40 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country).
Costa Rica runs one national digital record (EDUS) across public care; patients can view and share parts of it but cannot opt out.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 1, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Mixed band, 45 to 64
54/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 27th to 55th, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 64 out of 100 in Costa Rica; the typical country scores 40 to 45. Ley 8239 gives a right to a copy, and the EDUS app lets patients download an authenticated copy showing diagnoses, medicines, allergies and visits, not the full chart. Source: IAFA copy, 2002, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Costa Rica?
In 2026, the government holds the keys to your health record in Costa Rica. Control over who sees it scores 48 out of 100 in Costa Rica; the typical country scores 30. Every action is logged, and a patient can ask their clinic for a certified access record. Source: CCSS, SINALEVI, January 29, 2018, and the other sources below.
How does Costa Rica compare?
In 2026, Costa Rica scores 54 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Brazil (52 out of 100), Canada (52 out of 100) and Uruguay (59 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Brazil, Canada, Uruguay and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
64
62 · 50 · 65
Control over who sees it20%
48
35 · 55 · 66
Privacy and security15%
40
58 · 58 · 57
One record across your care15%
68
55 · 50 · 60
Protection from sale and ads10%
52
55 · 45 · 52
Doctors see it when treating you10%
65
50 · 55 · 58
Your say over research use5%
45
50 · 49 · 49
Rules for AI in your care5%
30
57 · 56 · 30
Black dot: Costa Rica. Hollow dots: Brazil, Canada, Uruguay (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Overall: Costa Rica 54 out of 100. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Costa Rica need to change to score higher?
Costa Rica sits in Mixed (45 to 64); Strong starts at 65. Its two weakest rights, compared with the typical country and weighted by how much each counts, are privacy and security (40 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country) and your say over research use (45 out of 100, against 46 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Privacy and security: A health data regulator that is independent and actually acts: it decides cases about health records, breaches must be reported, and fines are applied.
Your say over research use: A way to say no to research use that is actually honored, or being asked first, plus a public list of what research used the data. That puts this right at 55 to 85 out of 100.
Which laws give health record rights in Costa Rica?
Ley 8239 (derechos y deberes de las personas usuarias de los servicios de salud) (2002): Right to access and copy one's clinical record, confidentiality, and to refuse research.
Ley 8968 (proteccion de la persona frente al tratamiento de sus datos personales) (2011): General data law; health data sensitive; creates PRODHAB; fines up to 30 base salaries.
Ley 9162 (expediente digital unico de salud) (2013): Mandates one national digital health record run by the CCSS; all its data private and sensitive.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
26.9 2022 · 33rd highest of 38 OECD countries
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
30.7 2022 · 36th highest of 38 OECD countries
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
28.6% 2023 · 10th highest of 35 OECD countries
Record reaches private care?
partly
Compulsory private insurance, counted separately: 1.6% of health spending (2023).
"Private hospitals and clinics are not connected beyond the patient's share code."
Real cases
May 28, 2026 · La Nación · archived copy Constitutional court says TV channels breached privacy by airing a person's prescriptions
November 28, 2024 · La Nación · archived copy Public insurer admits staff typing error put a stranger's appointment in a patient's record
Who to contact in Costa Rica
Not legal advice. Laws, offices and websites can change, so check with the office itself before you rely on anything here.
For Costa Rica, we list 2 official offices to contact about your health record, as of :
See your record:EDUS (Expediente Digital Único en Salud) (Single Digital Health Record (EDUS))
Privacy regulator:Agencia de Protección de Datos de los Habitantes (Prodhab) (Agency for the Protection of Personal Data of Inhabitants)
Patient rights body:Auditoría General de Servicios de Salud (General Audit Office of Health Services)
In 2026, Costa Rica scored 54 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 44th of 198 countries and territories (could be 27th to 55th), in the Mixed band. Who holds the keys: the government. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/costa-rica/
The 18 sources for Costa Rica
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (4 sources)
“Ley 8239, Derechos y deberes de las personas usuarias de los servicios de salud publicos y privados” [Law 8239, Rights and duties of users of public and private health services] our machine translation
IAFA copy (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated 2002 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Your say over research use
“Nueva funcion en aplicacion EDUS permite compartir expediente medico con personal de salud privado” [New feature in EDUS app allows sharing medical records with private health personnel] our machine translation
Monumental (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated August 7, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Ley 8968, Proteccion de la Persona frente al tratamiento de sus datos personales” [Law 8968, Protection of the Person regarding the processing of their personal data] our machine translation
MICITT (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated July 7, 2011 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Privacy and security; Protection from sale and ads
“Pensionados y personas fuera de planilla de la CCSS tienen acceso a datos de EDUS, revela CGR” [Retirees and people off the CCSS payroll have access to EDUS data, CGR reveals] our machine translation
AmeliaRueda.com (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated April 25, 2022 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Hackeo a la CCSS obliga a pacientes a volver a centros medicos” [Hack of the CCSS forces patients to return to medical centres] our machine translation
La Teja (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated May 31, 2022 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“EDUS ya le permite compartir su expediente con su medico privado” [EDUS now lets you share your record with your private doctor] our machine translation
La Nacion (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated August 6, 2025 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“Decreto 34482-S, Reglamento para registro, clasificacion, importacion y control de equipo y material biomedico” [Decree 34482-S, Regulation for the registration, classification, import and control of biomedical equipment and material] our machine translation
La Gaceta (law or regulation) · Title in Spanish
Dated April 25, 2008 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
“CCSS incorpora inteligencia artificial para depuracion de listas de espera” [CCSS incorporates artificial intelligence to clean up waiting lists] our machine translation
Infobae (news) · Title in Spanish
Dated May 7, 2026 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/costa-rica/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
